Can't shoot Whiskey
by IHaveTooMuchFreeTime
Summary: Bella has been changed, but so have her emotions. Confused and frustrated she finds herself falling for a more understanding and amicable southern Major. (After Breaking Dawn, no Renesmee, and so no Volturi attack.)
1. Chapter 1

**I do not know how long this will be, but if people like it I will write more chapters, and have more of a plot.. depends on you guys! Hope you like it!**

* * *

I don't know what had gotten into me lately, or more appropriately, other than my mortality, what had changed about me.

I had known since I had 'woken up' that I did not feel for Edward the way I should. I felt love, for sure, but I could only feel compassion, instead of passion, dutifulness rather than desire and the arduousness of life as opposed to amour when I looked at him. These to name a few were why I was questioning our relationship.

If I felt this as a vampire, had he not always felt it? Could one 'mate' love another more? Was there something wrong with me, had the morphine numbed not only some of the pain, but also my emotions?

A few weeks after my change I had spoken to Jasper about it, whether or not my emotional capacity had waned. He had told me that it hadn't, he still felt them as strongly, although he tried to make light of his relief over my lack of sexual tension, which caused me to grimace, remembering that there was now no need for him to feel it, even if I was being denied, because I felt no attraction at all to my husband.

He had pulled me into a warm hug and said to stop worrying, which worried me all over again because I thought he knew why. He had said "Now Miss Bella, you don't worry about a thin'. You'll see, I'll never let anythin' happen to ya darlin'."

Hearing this I knew he had meant to comfort me, and to make me feel calmer, but it had ignited a different emotion, one I could not quite lay claim to.

All I know is I wished, frequently, I was back in Jasper's arms being reminded of how everything would be okay, and not in bed with my husband faking orgasm after orgasm. Crying his name, and wishing I could cry properly over how forsaken I felt.

I also know that Alice, who had become 'monster' in my head, was beginning to grate on my hard as steel, vampire, nerves. Everything she did, from dressing me, to going shopping, to hunting made me want to rip the small monster's head off.

She was still my sister, and I loved her, I just couldn't figure out what exactly was irritating me about her, and it was causing everything about her to irritate me.

That was how I came, now, to be sat between Emmet and Jasper, my two brothers, cackling at an episode of the simpsons that I had probably seen at least four times in my human life, and a good few tens more in my life as a vampire.

"Bellsy-poo, fancy coming for a hunt with me and Rose later?" Emmet was beaming at me from my side.

I had my back against his thick, tightly toned, arms, and my legs carelessly flung over Jas's lap, who was running his fingers up and down my shins in a calming motion.

"Sure thing Emmy-bear." I smiled up at him, loving the sight of his smiling face. It was so easy to make him happy. "Can Jazzy-spazzy come too?" Emmet's booming laugh vibrated through my body, and Jasper wrapped both hands around my ankles, pulling sharply so that I lay with my ass elevated on one of his thighs, but my face easily accessible for him to bend over me and snarl,

"Jazzy, what?" He cocked an eyebrow, "Think carefully Ma'am before you answer." I grinned over at Jasper.

"Spazzy, Jazzy." Emmet was now laughing uncontrollably, shaking the whole couch, slowing, taking one look at Jasper's incredulous face, and erupting in hysterics all over again.

Jasper laughing too now, if only at Em, he put his hands under my armpits and pulled me up sitting back on the sofa.

It was at this point I realised Edward had been watching the whole show, and was livid.

"How _DARE _you threaten my wife." He was growling, but it was so utterly pathetic that I joined in with Emmets bellows.

"And in answer to your question Isabella, I think I will come with you." Jasper was giggling quietly beside me, getting the words out before having to hold his breath to prevent any further giggles from escaping.

It transpired that everyone, other than Edward and Alice, wanted to hunt, leaving them to their favourite pass times, shopping and reading, we raced towards the Denali boarder.

It took a good few hours to reach, but coupled with Emmet's antics; from mooning on the highway, to taking a swing at Jasper with a tree, and Rosalie's constant admonishment, it made for a fairly amusing trip.

We met Tanya and Carmen at the boarder and together we began to hunt, deciding to meet back at their house, where there was a room for each of us. Apart from me.

Edward apparently shared a room with Tanya over the year and so I was left with no where but the hose pipe outside to clean up with.

Carlisle had seemed confused by the state of affairs, saying he had never considered it odd that they had shared a room, saying it could have been any one of the Denali girls since they were all unmated.

I declined to mention that my only, and largest problem had been that I couldn't lie down, not that my dearest Edward had not been as innocent as he had claimed. Although at least Tanya had the decency to look a little sheepish.

"Darlin' come on," said Jasper, holding out his hand, "ya can use my shower love. There's a telly as well if you want to watch a film." I moved from my position in the living room, declining his hand and followed him into his and the monster's room.

Always the gentleman, Jasper let me shower first, and as I walked out of the now steamy shower room, dressed in my most comfortable jeans and stripy top I saw Jasper stood in nothing but low slung jeans, his shoes and shirt discarded behind him, and the button on his jeans undone.

I stopped in the door way, attempting to hide my emotions. This must have alerted him because he turned to look at me, not even ducking his head.

"You okay there sugar?" He smirked, and it lit his eyes in the warmest way. Almost like his eyes could portray his humour.

"Mmhmm." I murmured, letting myself drink in the sight of him.

He chuckled and stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

I shook my head to myself, twisting my hair into a bun on the top of my head, only to let it fall down onto my face. Throwing the comforter off the bed I leaned back onto the pile of cushions, pulling the duvet up around me and flicking through their Netflix library.

I found a suitable comedy, and a sad rom-com, and decided I would let Jasper choose, since it was all due to him that I had somewhere to relax.

When he came back I was fiddling with my hair, leaving minute braids under the rest of my hair, only having completed three while he was gone, I was working on the fourth, he looked quizzically at me and smiled.

"Slumber party is it?" I felt the bed dip where he sat down. "And if it is, where are the pillow fights in our underwear and the magazine quizzes, and the nail polish!"

"You've been listening to Emmet too much honey, I've never been to a sleepover where we did all of those things. I have built a pillow fort though."

"Really? What with cannons?" his smile grew more pronounced and he settled himself into the pillows.

"No, to defend myself against Jacob. When we were younger, billy and Charlie would leave me with Rebecca and Rachel, and we would fight Jake." Smiling fondly at the dim human memory, I sighed, one of contentment, and simplicity. "Any way, what film do you want to watch?" I clapped my hands together with fake enthusiasm, and showed him the two I had found.

He was predictable, he went with the comedy. Making me joyous at the thought of hearing that warm laugh and feeling all of his amusement mixed with my own when he forgot to reign it in.

Half an hour in and, as predicted, we were both hysterical with laughter. I had my head propped up by a few pillows on Jasper's lap and he was twirling the ends of my hair around his fingers. Em and Rose had joined us, but after whispering something in Emmet's ear Rose had stood and lead them both out of the room, causing Jasper to grumble about insatiable vampire mates.

It wasn't until one awful joke that anything could have been considered out of the ordinary, I had been laughing on the bed, and had ended up rolling onto the floor, Jasper had leant over the side, to kindly pull me back up, and I had remembered something I used to do to Phil at the swimming pool, so I pulled Jas down with me.

After landing on me, he apologised and attempted to roll off, but due to the limited space he had had to roll us both so that I was lying across his body. My hands on his muscular shoulders, his resting at my hips. I looke down at Jasper still laughing quietly but he was serious. I then realised just how close I was, how my legs were straddling him, and his fingers had began to methodically stroke my hip bones, and how I could feel his sweet breath on my lips.

And that his were less than an inch from my own, looking so delectable, I wanted to let my tongue dip down and run across them.


	2. Chapter 2

Jasper leaned up towards me, my eyes followed his lips as they steadily gained distance on mine. I held my breath, my fingers tingling in anticipation, excitement, nervousness, lust, they were all bouncing around me like a rubber ball being propelled around a room.

It was striking in comparison to the sinking feeling that I felt when his lips brushed across my cheek bone and to my ear.

"Somethin' wrong, darlin'." He softly drawled into my ear.

I sighed, brought back to reality by his familiar tone. I relaxed on top of him, bringing my head to rest on his shoulder.

His hands stayed softly stroking my hip bones for a moment before moving up to my waist where both arms wrapped tightly around me, hugging me to him. I smiled, that's why I liked Jasper, he would let it go now, he wouldn't forget it, but he would let it rest, it wouldn't change anything. Even though he had felt everything.

"I'm perfect hon, everything is fine." At the word fine he held me tighter, cutting my breath off.

"It'll all work out one day right?" Jasper murmured in my ear, I knew he was thinking about Alice and how she had been the past few, what sounded like had been, years. To me she had always been this way, but Jasper had explained that she had been more pushy in the past few year, more controlling, and though he didn't like to admit to it, I knew it bothered him.

"I sure hope so Jas. Maybe we just have to make it all more interesting until it does." I smiled and kissed my brother in law on the cheek.

Standing up I pulled Jasper up with me. He towered above me, I was still fairly short, five foot four wasn't much, and after my change I had just become more proportionate to my size rather than any taller. Jasper was nearly a full foot taller than me at six foot two, and my head barely came to his chin, when I looked up at him I could just see his jaw, a six o'clock shadow that made him look more rugged than anything else. When I was a true newborn he had stood me on his feet when talking to me, so that he could look me in the eye constantly. He was adamant I had found a way to trick him into not feeling my true emotions because he couldn't feel any anger, or aggression, atleast not when Edward wasn't around.

He did that now, and looked me in the eye, grinning from ear to ear he filled me with his excitement, raw and childish I giggled at the tingling it was leaving in my hands and the 'pre rollercoaster' butterflies it left in my stomache.

"Come on sug', lets go see if Em and Rose fancy a game night!" He was practically bouncing as he explained his excitement.

I laughed, "Carlisle and Esme too."

"Maybe the Denali's, hey, hey, I know, _family vs family game night!_"

"Let's go Jas, now, now, now." I dragged him from the room, running to Emmet and Rosalie's room, forgetting altogether to knock and rushing right to their bed.

"Emmet! Game night!" Then I looked at them, Rosalie had both hands tied to the bed, Emmet's hands held her thighs to the mattress while he sucked her clit slowly into his mouth.

She whimpered, begging him to stop. He growled that we could watch if that was what we wanted, but he wasn't stopping for us.

Turning to look at Jasper, who was just watching me, for fear of my reaction to walking in on my big brother eating out his mate, I thought about my response while I gazed into Jasper's confused face.

"I told Edward that there were other positions than the missionary." I said abruptly, and walked from the room. Leaving three laughing vampires, Emmet had officially lost the will to continue at my outburst, and was untying Rose, still chuckling to himself.

Jasper appeared by my side and wrapped one arm around my waist, leaning to whisper in my ear.

"So much more darlin'." I shuddered as his breath tickled my neck.

That was what confused me about Jasper, he would act the perfect brother, cheer me up, help me out, argue incessantly with me, and take my side in any other argument that was against anyone but him, and then he would say something, or do something that would make me shiver with want for him.

"Esme, Carlisle, you guys wanna do a game night with us?" I said it to the general area, not knowing exactly where they were.

#Two identical, and perfectly timed yes's drifted up the stair to reach my ear. They we so in sink after all that time that they even used the same intonation. Edward and I couldn't even agree to a time to go hunting, and if we did it took us an hour of conversation and blackmail. They seemed to have it down to a look. Come to think of it, so did Em and Rose, Alice just spoke for Jas, claiming she'd "seen it" already. That really annoyed me. How could she see it, if he never decided to do it in the first place, it would mean whatever 'prophecy' she had seen, would just not exist if she stopped it from happening.

I shook my head, looking up at Jasper beside me who smiled and nodded, running to go and ask the Denali's if they wanted to join.

When we had everyone gathered in the living room Jasper explained the idea.

"Okay, so, it's family vs family. Cullen, vs Denali, got it?" Everyone nodded. I could hear a note of the old major in him when he organized like this. "So sit on separate sides a' the room. And then I'll tell y'all what we're playin'."

He looked so excited, I could see it in his eyes, he wanted to have some fun tonight, and he wanted to _win._ We had fairer teams with Alice and Edward at home, no cheating could take place, and the numbers were more even. Kate and Irina were bouncing in their seats, ready for the games to begin, Carmen was leaning on Eleazar's arm, smiling at the two groups of children facing off. She was actually she spitting image of Esme at this point, contentedly looking at her children, ready for their competitive natures to get the better of them.

Carlisle and Esme had taken the arm chair our side of the coffee table, while Rosalie, Emmet and Jasper sat on the sofa, leaving me to sit between Jas's feet, leaning on his knees for support.

He pulled my hair into one hand and twisted it through his fingers while he explained the games.

"Right, first, Emmet, would you like to nominate a game." He raised one eyebrow at Em, as if daring him to suggest something ridiculous.

"Spin the bottle!" He bellowed.

"Yes, Emmet, in a room full of mated pairs, spin the bottle is a great idea." I countered sarcastically.

"Fine then, spoil sport, truth or dare." He still looked pleased with himself, despite his first idea being trashed.

"Okay, and the winning team, the one with the most completed truths or dares, after they are out of players, wins, and can choose the next game." Jasper was smiling as he explained, already coming up with dares I had no doubt.

I felt his fingers threaded in my hair work silently to my scalp, and begin to slowly tug my hair and run over my head, leaving goose bumps over my arms and shivers down my spine.

"But how would you run out of players?" Tanya looked confused by our version of the game,

"You can forfeit a dare, or a truth, but you must do the forfeit and you are out." Carlisle was always the one to explain that, because he knew anyone else wouldn't use the word forfeit, they would call it what it is, a naked streak around the house. Which never, ever, got old.

"Everyone understand?" Jasper looked around at the Denali coven, they were all nodding, most smiling, but Carmen, who looked only mildly concerned. "Okay, Eleazar, you can start."

* * *

**Hope everyone liked this chapter? Sorry it took me a while to update, but Aw Naw needed another one before I could even think about writing this. Let me know if you liked it, and if you have any ideas that could help me write this one!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Big thanks to .9 for the inspiration! It really helps if you guys want to give me idea's about this story, makes new chapters easier and faster to write! Thank you for all the reviews!**

* * *

JPOV

I looked at Eleazar, waiting for him to choose someone, my fingers toying with Bella's hair as she sat at my feet.

I had had siblings as a human, and I had obviously lived with Rose and Emmet for a few decades, but I had never felt with them, and I cannot remember feeling the same emotion with my human siblings, I did with Bella. It was all just so easy, carefree, like I could be whoever I wanted, and say whatever I wanted around her and there would be no drama. She would just accept it, and still love me anyway.

It was liberating, and possibly the reason I always made time for her in a way I did not for the others, I was so in tune with her emotions that even during the hunt I could feel her calm and concentration penetrating my normally exclusive bubble, when my thoughts were so inherently primal. It was also probably why when I had felt her discomfort when we had arrived I had offered mine and Alice's room for her to stay in, or shower in. Why I would sit and watch comedies with her, and deliberately think of ways to cheer her up when I knew she was having a hard time with Edward.

That was also something that bothered me, for the first few weeks I had put it all down to her being new to this life, being new to every action she made, of course she would feel a difference in her relationship. None of us had had premeditated changes, and so hers being so planned must have thrown her for a loop when she was fixing to wake up and her 'Husband' had looked, smelt, sounded and most likely acted differently to how she had become accustomed. But now I was questioning what was _really_ bothering the lovable woman at my feet.

Bella leant back, tilting her head to look up at me. I saw one perfect eyebrow arch, silently asking me if everything was okay. I realised my hands had stilled on her neck, causing her to become aware of my distraction. I smiled at her, as warmly as I could as a vampire, and she returned it, her natural love for everything and everyone coming through.

"Well Eleazar, who's it gonna be man? Bear in mind you wanna win!" Emmet boisterous enthusiasm seemed to get the game going as Eleazar leant forward.

"Okay then Emmet, Esme, what did you first think of Carlisle when you were brought into this life?" I watched as Esme's eyes flitted to Carlisle's and then the floor. She knew that although she was on my team I would always call her out on lying. I began to wonder exactly what was causing her to feel the embarrassment.

"Well, _Eleazar,_ I thought, um, well I thought." She was visibly squirming now, and Rosalie laughed.

"This sounds like it could be good." She murmured, nudging Emmet.

"I thought he seemed like an awfully nice person." She paused putting her hands over her eyes. "And that he needn't have kidnapped me if he wanted to sleep with me, because I would have anyway." She buried her face in Carlisle's neck, and he began chortling.

"Is that what you were thinking when you started taking your clothes off?" He laughed, and looked down at her head, which was nodding on his shoulder. Eleazar was now laughing too, obviously having heard it before by the look on his face.

"I didn't remember anything before the change for a few hours, so I just, well, assumed.." Esme was now desperate for a distraction.

"Esme, it's your turn, you can ask someone now." I felt the need to save my mother from any further humiliation.

"Oh, yes, it is isn't it!" Her smile broadened with this realisation. "Kate! Oh hang on.. Oh, I don't know." Suddenly I saw the most evil grin appear on her face, one I was unaccustomed to from Esme. "Hey Emmet, what was that dare you won with last time?" She said sweetly.

"I tried to get Rosie to trade underwear with Bella. Why mom?" He was beaming with glee now. Like a child on Christmas, in on the secret about santa clause for the first year.

"Kate, I dare you to trade underwear with Tanya." Esme rarely got this excited, and it was nice to feel, being the oldest naturally, of all of the Cullen's she had always been more reserved, but after Bella was changed, Bella's more reserved and caring nature meant Esme could let go a little more.

Thinking this I let my fingers pull at Isabella's ear lobe, causing her to look up at me and smile, knowing full well that out adoptive mother was really letting go for once.

"Esme!" Kate was astonished but stood up anyway, turning to Tanya, "Do you want to lose sister?"

They both ran out of the room, and came back a few seconds later, resolves faltering but defiant all the same.

Kate turned her gaze on Isabella, "Truth, _Swan_," the Denali coven still called her Swan, rather than Cullen, nobody really knew why, but the three girls had said it on her wedding day and it had stuck for them. "why are you with Edward?"

I watched both of Bella's eyebrows go up in surprise, and she calmly opened her mouth. "Because I love him." I felt her lack of conviction, but said nothing; this was not the sort of thing I would call her out on. She sounded so sure of herself, so sure that Kate nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"Tanya," I saw Tanya shift under Bella's gaze, and felt Bella's hand come up to her hair, holding my had under the veil of hair, making it look like she was just running her hand through it. I felt her uncertainty, and sent her some courage, "why does Edward not have a room of his own."

Everyone sat still, waiting for the answer. Looking at Tanya, I saw Rosalie's hold on Emmet's hand tighten in my peripheral vision.

"There was no need for him to have one." She muttered avoiding Bella's eyes.

"That's not all of it Tanya, I know it isn't." I tapped the side of my head, as I spoke, reminding her that I could tell she was lying and I would not let her get away with it. At this point the game was forgotten about, and the focus was on her answer rather than the score.

"He did not require his own room, because he had nothing to hide from me." She was looking at her hands, clenched tightly in her lap. I heard Esme gasp, at the same time, almost to the second, Bella's hand dropped from mine.

Emmet growled from his seat on the sofa, and as I felt the sinking feeling obviously originating from Isabella, I pulled her from the floor into my lap, sat sideways with her head on my shoulder as she continued to look at Tanya.

"You were sleeping with him, just admit it Tan, I bet you still are!" Rosalie looked incensed at this, standing to spit the words at Tanya, her voice high pitched and feral. I sent her calm, not wanting this to be any worse for the young girl I was shielding in my lap.

I felt around for Bella's despair, and I was baffled by her lack of concern. It was resolution now running through her venom filled veins. I looked down at her, crooking my finger to bring her eyes to look into mine. I raised my eyebrows, letting her know I was confused.

"So what if I'm still sleeping with him!" That shocked everyone.

Suddenly there was snarling rippling through the room, entirely directed at the one female vampire, and the nerve of her. I realised it was mostly my own, I was stood with Bella positioned behind me, the sofa thrown away from us, and my teeth bared at the succubus on the other side of the table.

"Jas, Jas look at me." I heard a soft voice behind me, and I stopped short, standing and turning to look at the woman behind me. "It's okay, Jasper. Don't worry on my behalf. It's what everyone thought right, that he was cheating on me? I mean, who goes a century without having sex?"

She was resigned, that I could tell, but I also knew that she was okay, and that was all that mattered. That my family was okay.

I knew I would have to review my actions later, I mean, Tanya was no threat, so why did I become so primal? I shook my head, clearing it, and gazed back at Bella.

"Come on darlin'. Let's go for a run." I pulled her towards the door. Looking back at Em and Rose, "Stayin' or goin'?" I asked them, there was only one right answer now. I knew Esme and Carlisle would stay, but purely to talk to Eleazar and Carmen about the whole thing. Try to get a grip on their 'children's' lives. Not for lack of love for Bella, that no one would doubt, for fear of having their heads ripped off probably.

"Come on Em, we're off." Rosalie took Emmet's hand and they walked towards us. Emmet taking Bella's other hand with his.

"Let's go Bells." He kissed the top of her head and we all left the room. The Denali coven stood in shock the other side of the table, unable to come up with a coherent sentence. But all I cared about was getting this innocent little lady out of there, and somewhere she wouldn't be disrespected like that.


End file.
